Fins and Fluke, founded in November of 2012, is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to educate the public about issues pertaining to waterways and all marine life, as well as helping the general public to make ocean-friendly decisions in their everyday lives. Fins and Fluke openly campaigns against facilities that hold marine mammals captive and advocates for cetacean freedom

Over the past few years Fins and Fluke has helped raise funds to rehabilitate a stranded juvenile dolphin in Spain, lead a campaign to raise money for a Marineland whistleblower’s legal fees totaling $15,000, and raised funds to distribute approximately 23 copies of David Kirby’s book, Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, to libraries across the United States and Canada that are located near facilities which house captive cetaceans.

Fins and Fluke initiated the Blue Living Pledge in 2014 as a way to encourage the public to make not only “green” choices, but “blue” as well, meaning their daily practices have less of an impact on waterways. We believe that people can make sure that waterways can continue to provide inspiration, wonder, and solutions in the future by the personal decisions they make on a daily basis.

The Blue Living Pledge encourages the following:

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Reduce Plastics at All Costs

Strive to be Fish Free

Reduce Consumption Habits and Become a Locavore

Avoid Chemical Sunscreens

Don’t Purchase Items that Exploit Marine Life

Take Your Water Sports Off the Grid

Educate Yourself About Oceans and Marine Life

The Need

The oceans and waterways of the world are currently facing countless issues, from over-fishing to plastic pollution, coral bleaching to oil spills. Fins and Fluke believes that the citizens of the world have the power to help through their daily choices and that these daily choices would be more effective if more people took the steps. Fins and Fluke would like to expand the Blue Living Pledge and reach an audience that has not found their way to our website yet. Ideally, Fins and Fluke volunteers would canvass on the streets, at festivals, and more, armed with tips and tricks to share about living a “bluer” lifestyle. We would like our volunteers to have pamphlets to help educate the public, as well as stickers and magnets to give to those who have taken the pledge as a reward and to help spread awareness. We would like to be able to run advertisements for the Blue Living Pledge if permittable. Our goal is to cast a wide net, get as many people as possible involved and turn the Blue Living Pledge into a widespread movement.

Alex Lewis-Dorer is a 27 year old activist. Having watched The Cove during its initial release and learning about the capture practices and the dangers of captivity, she felt compelled to stand up and voice her concerns to others. Since then she has dedicated her time and energy to working towards educating others about ocean conversation. In 2012 Alex joined forces with Wendy Brunot to have a lone killer whale named Shouka, moved to an alternate marine park to be with other orcas. Following the news of a planned Beluga Whale import, Alex hosted a protest in Atlanta In July 2012 together with Free the Atlanta 11 and GARP which attracted significant attention to the issues behind such an initiative. Alex has also played a large part in being a strong voice against Marineland, Canada, holding a demo at the facility in May 2014 in honor of Kiska, Canada’s last captive whale. She has dedicated much of her time to bringing attention to Marineland’s suffering animals. She also voices her concerns over many other captive marine faculties and lends her hand on campaigns regarding this issue. Alex’s love is not limited to cetaceans – she sees the beauty in all marine life. She is excited to be part of the movement that will end captivity for all marine mammals. Alex is also a proud team member for Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.